Daron Malakian
Daron Vartan Malakian (Armenian: Տարոն Մալաքյան, born July 18, 1975) is an Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and second vocalist of the rock band System of a Down, and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative metal band Scars on Broadway. Biography Daron Vartan Malakian was born on July 18, 1975, in Hollywood, California, the only child to Vartan and Zepur Malakian, immigrants originally from Iraq and Iran respectively. Vartan Malakian is a painter, dancer, and choreographer and Zepur Malakian is a sculptor who used to instruct college-level sculpture. Daron went to Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School in the Los Feliz side of Hollywood, which his future bandmates Shavo Odadjian and Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian (System of a Down's original drummer) also attended. System of a Down vocalist Serj Tankian attended the school as well, but he was many years above Malakian and the others. Malakian attended Glendale High School as a teenager. He is a lifelong fan of the Edmonton Oilers and has a large collection of Oilers-related memorabilia. Malakian met Serj Tankian in 1993, while they both shared the same rehearsal studio in different bands. Tankian was playing keyboard for a band, and Daron was playing guitar and singing for another band. They formed a jam band called Soil with bassist Dave Hakopyan and drummer Domingo Laraino. Shavo Odadjian then became their manager, and then rhythm guitarist. Soil broke up and Malakian, Tankian, and Odadjian (who switched to bass) formed a new band using the name “System of a Down”, based on a poem that Daron wrote. The poem’s title was “Victims of a Down” but Odadjian thought "system" was a stronger word than "victims." They then recruited drummer Andy Khachaturian, who was replaced by John Dolmayan in 1997. Malakian co-produced System of a Down’s albums with Rick Rubin, as well as albums by The Ambulance and Bad Acid Trip (a band on fellow member Serj Tankian’s Serjical Strike Records). In 2003, Malakian started his own label, EatUrMusic, on which Amen was the first signed band. The label is now inactive and its current status is unknown. Recent activity Malakian stayed out of the public eye following his cancellation of the tour in support of Scars on Broadway's debut album in October 2008. In 2009, Malakian made a surprise appearance (his first in a year) at Shavo Odadjian's Halloween Party and played "Suite-Pee," "They Say", and an unknown song with Odadjian, Dolmayan and Scars on Broadway's Franky Perez on guitar. It was the first time that the band members (minus Tankian, who was working on his second solo album) performed together in more than three years. On November 20, 2009, Malakian played at the Chi Cheng Benefit concert along with Deftones and also performed with Odadjian and Dolmayan. Malakian, Odadjian, and Dolmayan played "Aerials" and "Toxicity." He made a guest appearance on Cypress Hill's 2010 album Rise Up, on one song, "Trouble Seeker", which he also produced. On July 29, 2010, Scars on Broadway released their first new studio recording in exactly two years, a Malakian-penned song called "Fucking." On August 20, 2010, Malakian played in Hollywood with Scars on Broadway. On November 29, 2010, it was announced that System of a Down would reunite for a European tour to take place in June 2011. They played at the Download Festival on June 11, 2011. Despite playing a number of reunion shows, the band had no plans to record new material. In October 2011, John Dolmayan expressed his interest in writing new material but cited that band members are all busy with their other projects (such as Daron's Scars on Broadway and Serj Tankian's solo efforts). In 2014, he appeared on American rock band Linkin Park's sixth studio album The Hunting Party, on the second promotional hit single "Rebellion", which was self-produced by Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson. Discography ;Scars on Broadway * Scars on Broadway (2008) ;Appearances ;Production Malakian has also produced a number of albums. Awards * In 2002, System of a Down was nominated for a Grammy Award in Best Metal Performance for their song "Chop Suey!", but lost to "Schism" by rock band Tool. * In 2003, System of a Down was nominated for a Grammy Award in Best Hard Rock Performance for "Aerials", but lost to "All My Life" by Foo Fighters. * In 2005, System of a Down won for Best Alternative Act in the Europe Music Awards. * In 2006, System of a Down won their first Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for "B.Y.O.B." * In 2006, System of a Down won the "MTV Good Woodie Award" for their song, "Question!" * In 2006, System of a Down's song "Toxicity" was #14 on the VH1 Top 40 Metal Songs list. * In 2007, System of a Down was nominated for a Grammy Award in Best Hard Rock Performance for their song "Lonely Day", but lost to "Woman" by Wolfmother. Malakian, Daron